Plagued by scandal (1), gross mismanagement (2), and financial setbacks (3), purveyors of red-light camera systems and their supporters continue to misrepresent public opinion on automated traffic ticketing schemes. That’s the conclusion of the National Motorists Association after reviewing the latest red-light camera public polling results released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The Cleveland City Council gave the ‘green light’ to more than double the number of red-light and speed cameras in the city. Right now there are 23. Monday night, council members voted to install 26 more. According to the mayor’s office, in 2012, the cameras brought in nearly six million dollars, about one-percent of the city’s annual budget.

Bloomington, IL based State Farm Insurance is looking for drivers to help beta test their new RightLane smartphone app, which tracks a user’s driving behavior. The insurance company is offering the first 5000 people to sign up and participate a $50 Visa gift card.  But will motorists enjoy having their auto insurance company tracking their driving behavior?

A task force appointed last year to study the city’s speed and red-light camera program violated Maryland law when it met behind closed doors in March, the state Open Meetings Compliance Board ruled this week. The task force also violated the open-meetings law by not giving reasonable advance notice of meetings and by failing to take proper minutes, the board said in the ruling published Monday.

Nobody likes getting a parking ticket. But it’s especially infuriating when the rules are changed right before your eyes. A city transportation crew changed “alternate side, Monday and Thursday” signs to “No Standing Anytime.” Then, within 25 minutes of the signs going up, traffic agents were swiping registration stickers and issuing tickets to cars parked there.

A DeLand police officer told a driver it was his “lucky day” and offered him a warning rather than a citation. But the driver demanded the traffic fine. When a traffic hearing was held weeks later, the officer didn’t show. Now, the driver is fighting to drag the cop into court to explain why he shouldn’t be held in contempt for skipping the hearing. This wasn’t your typical traffic stop.

Residents of Center Point, Alabama, who received citations as a result of a new traffic-camera system were told they could appeal their tickets in court. But there was a catch: it turned out there was no court to hear such cases.

Four months after Red Bank’s traffic cameras were removed, city officials say they aren’t missed.

The idea of a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax is being discussed — and actually tested in states like Oregon and Iowa. It would be an alternative to the federal gas tax, which is under review by Congress and could lead to a new system for funding highway construction and repairs when the measure comes up for reauthorization in 2014.

A group in Murfreesboro has started a petition to end the use of red-light cameras, but police say the traffic enforcement measure has improved safety. The group complains that the city uses the cameras to “shake down motorist for violations.”